January 16 blog - Wynsome, Rosalyn, Sid

 January 16 – UWI TOUR 🏫🚌


First day on UWI campus🤩


Hi friends and family!! Today was a busy day full of orientation, campus tours and our J-term class, which is coming to an end in the next two weeks. We were given an extremely warm welcome in the incoming exchange students orientation session and were able to learn how to register for our classes as well as meet other students from around the world who are also in Trinidad for the next five months! UWI is different from our colleges and universities back in the US, especially when it comes to the size of the campus. The campus is very large and is split into different sections. We had to take the campus shuttles from campus to get back to Sir Arthur Lewis Hall (SAL), where we all live. There are also a lot of small shops and restaurants on campus which is super fun and different from what we’re used to! Now that we have all received a tour of campus and learned important tips about student life, we are feeling a little bit more confident to tackle our first day of classes on Monday! 


As I’ve started to settle in, we’ve been reflecting on Trinidad’s women’s movement. We learned in today's class that despite major gains in education and employment, systemic barriers still persist. Some of it is reflected in calypso music, where male artists have traditionally portrayed women as deceptive or sexualized. However, we learned that female calypsonians like Singing Francine and Singing Diane have challenged these stereotypes, using their songs to empower women. 


The feminist movement here grew in the late 1970s, influenced by global activism and local struggles. Groups like the Housewives Association and Concerned Women for Progress addressed economic and reproductive rights but faced challenges bridging class divides. Trinidad’s history of resilience and activism offers powerful lessons in the fight for justice, and we are really excited for having the opportunity to learn more about it in the upcoming weeks! 

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